ANTIOCH — A traveling carnival coming to town this week could be a thriller.

A ride from Michael Jackson’s Neverland Ranch estate, the Lolli Swing, will be among the attractions at the Somersville Towne Center parking lot starting Thursday.

The Antioch stop will be the first in Contra Costa County for the ride; it has been to Oakland and the Alameda County Fairgrounds.

The ride was the late pop star’s favorite, according to officials with Fairfield-based Butler Amusements, the company putting on the carnival.

The 40-year-old amusement company purchased the ride along with five others from Jackson’s estate at an auction in fall 2008, said Andrea Owen, a Butler spokeswoman. Some of Jackson’s former rides aren’t ground-mounted and travel easier than others, she said.

Owen didn’t know the exact price the company paid for the Lolli Swing, but it was “about that of a luxury car,” she said.

The ride was put to use immediately after purchase, but the company didn’t publicize the ride until after Jackson’s shocking death last June.

“Everybody was talking about it, so there definitely was a buzz,” Owen said. “We didn’t know if it would be a good thing or a bad thing.”

It turns out people enjoyed getting to a chance to experience a ride from Jackson’s ranch, she said.

Alameda County Fairgrounds spokeswoman April Mitchell said attendance rose 21.5 percent last year — in part because two rides Butler purchased from Neverland were featured at the fair.

“They had a lot of interest. There were people waiting in long lines for those particular rides,” she said, noting the fair was a week after Jackson’s death.

Added Owen: “It became a real positive; like a traveling museum. It’s like riding on a piece of history.”

The Antioch carnival, which runs through Sunday, is co-sponsored by the Antioch Chamber of Commerce. The chamber always receives lots of calls from the community inquiring when the carnival is returning to town, said Karen James Smith, director of operations.

She was unaware that a ride of Michael Jackson’s was coming to Antioch.

“How exciting. That’s one of my favorite type of rides,” she said.

In addition to the Lolli Swing, the carnival will feature 16 rides for all age ranges, games, food and other traditional carnival fare.

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